Is Donald Trump a High Chair Tyrant?

The consensus among an increasingly alarmed populace of the world’s sane is that presidential candidate Donald Trump displays the attributes of a tyrant—you know, like Hitler, Hussein or Trump’s new bestie, Vladimir Putin.

But a closer inspection of The Donald’s actions reveal something even more alarming than a simple authoritarian-bully. If you really dissect Trump’s comments and behaviors what emerges is the Jungian archetype of the “High Chair Tyrant.”

Before I explain what that means, a Jungian primer here. There are four aspects of mature masculinity: The King, The Magician, The Lover and The Warrior. But before these ripen into manhood there are three archetypes of boyhood called The Divine Child, The Weakling Prince and The High Chair Tyrant.

A common lament among Jungian analyst-writers is that men in the West have gotten stuck in boyhood archetypes that fail to mature into their healthy masculine counterparts. (Apparently the West has been derelict in initiation rites that usher boys into manhood for one, along with a dearth of positive masculine role models and wise male elders. The culture of the West is tribally adrift and the men—and women‚ suffer for it).

In Donald Trump’s case, this manhood adrift is glaringly evident.

Donald acts and speaks like a petulant, spoiled, entitled and blustering boy. And I’ve been haunted for a few months now with one single driving question: How will a boy rule a nation?

Read this excerpt about the High-Chair Tyrant and tell me that you don’t see Donald in this eerily apt description.

“The High Chair Tyrant needs attention. But unlike the Divine Child, the High Chair Tyrant doesn’t give anything back. He doesn’t inspire–he just demands. And even when his needs are met, the care often doesn’t meet his unreasonable expectations, so he throws a tantrum….The High Chair Tyrant is the embodiment of entitled, arrogant, narcissism. He wants attention, but he doesn’t want to lift a finger to get it. He thinks he deserves it just because

A grown man who is still ruled by the High Chair Tyrant sulks when he doesn’t get his way, fails to take responsibility for his actions, and is incapable of taking criticism. His arrogance can blind him to reality and cause him to stumble. You can see the High Chair Tyrant manifested in celebrities and politicians who believe they are so special that they are not only entitled to indulge in things like infidelity and crookery, but that they won’t get caught either.” (For more on this topic and source of this excerpt click here.)

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I’m not the only one noting lately the bizarrely infantile aspects of Trump and the daunting consequences of a child-king elect.

Steve Almond writes about this at Salon, noting that ” If he does make it to the White House, Trump will assume the role of a child king, allowed to dress up for state dinners, issue decrees and ogle the wives of foreign leaders.

The real power within his administration will reside in his court — the unelected advisers who surround him. They are the ones who will do the dirty work of governing. Given the company he has kept on the campaign trail, this prospect should be terrifying to anyone with a functioning frontal lobe.”

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So, assuming there haven’t been mass lobotomies, why are some people drawn to support Trump despite clear demonstrations he is a boy playing dress-up in designer business suits with linebacker shoulder pads?

Partly because he comes across with a bullish authoritarianism that appeals to a large segment of the US population who feel lost in some way and who are looking to be found—or at least if not found, then lead in a direction where they feel important and heard.

It doesn’t seem to matter to them that the Pied Piper may lead the world off a nuclear detonation cliff because of a temper tantrum or a bout of narcissistic self-importance.

My focus however was on looking past the surface to the subtext of what Trump stands for. I wrote , “The real story is the glaringly obvious dynamic of extreme polarity. Not just the polarization of left and right politics, but a grand-canyon sized gap between the light and the dark in the soul of humanity. The United States, it seems, has become the global stage for this schizophrenic soul drama, where sentiments based on hate, fear and anger have gained mass appeal across a wide spectrum of right-wing American voters.”

This extreme polarity is not just about a seemingly off-the-rails U.S. election. This schizophrenic split shows up “out there” because in some way that we are failing as a collective to acknowledge, that split is within the collective human psyche itself.

In the meantime I’m going to meditate on the eerily political-landscape prophecy of soulful Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker. It’s a great song to listen to over and over again while you ponder the meaning of Trump and the fate of the civilized world.

“Theres a lullaby suffering
And a paradox to blame
But it’s written in the scriptures
And it’s not some idle claim
You want it darker
We kill the flame

They’re lining up the prisoners
And the guards are taking aim
I struggled with some demons
They were middle class and tame
I didn’t know I had permission to murder and to maim
You want it darker.”

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8 thoughts on “Is Donald Trump a High Chair Tyrant?”

Very thought provoking times we live in, and I appreciate this blog and your writing in general. I honestly don’t know what to do or even think during these times… it’s not like I don;t have experience of doing nothing, or doing something, and have seen into realisation of what resistance means…yet today with the newsfeed jammed full of the story and feelings about Trump, I am at a loss to know what I want to do about things. This is surely the time of truly being oneself, above all else. And perhaps this is the learning here for me in this moment. Blessings, Lynn

Hi Lynn. Yes, it can be confusing for sure to know what right action looks like under these conditions. Right action can be no action! I say, feel into your own knowing heart, moment by moment. It will inform you. Always, the right next step or non-step is being whispered by your soul. Just find the stillness and listen.

1 day after the inauguration – one of the best things I’ve read on Trump. The orange baby in the white house.

The best part is what it says about us – what a great way of articulating how this reflects the unwillingness of all of us humans on this lovely planet to see the conflicts within ourselves.

Trump is, in a way, providing a great service for bringing this out. Would that we could be brave enough to let go into Silence so we can look at these divisive elements in our minds and hearts without fear.

“High-chair tyrant.” That’s a good one for Trump. Whether he has “matured” past the teenage bully that he has become is really beside the point.Trump represents the worst in American society. The rage he has become the spokesperson for has been festering ever since ‘political correctness’ arrived on the horizon a few decades ago. He says exactly what many are afraid to say out-loud, but will say among their circle of like-minded friends. What this election is all about is a clash of cultures. Will we continue to progress as an inclusive society, or turn back time to a ‘White Bread America’ that used to be taken for granted? We are in the throes of a huge backlash to the Obama years. It has been hard to take by those who see a black man and his family trapesing about the White House. Why did his citizenship get called into question? Not to mention a great number of the populace still consider him a Muslim. Cultural change has been especially difficult for those who have taken their position of privilege for granted in our society..A real question to ask ourselves is: Were we always a Christian nation; and just what are “Christian Values,” anyway? I might be mistaken, but I believe they really begin with the Golden Rule.Take a good look at our Founding Fathers. There was probably not an Evangelical Christian among them. They were Deists, and heaven forbid, Masons! If you don’t believe me, go visit the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, sometime. Their ideas on “freedom of religion” were much different from those that feel they can exercise their “religious freedom” by denying gays marriage rights; let alone wedding cakes. I think we all get the gist of this current intense campaign season… Are we going to continue to be a beacon of hope and free expression for the world; or, are we going to build bigger walls between ourselves and others? We await the verdict.

Connie

If you’re going to get political, then you ought to write a piece about Hillary. The Clintons are extremely corrupt and are responsible for heinous crimes. Wikileaks just released new info proving the US, under her direction, is responsible for creating ISIS. The CIA along with Saudi Arabia and Israel (Mossad) is training paid mercenaries to expel Assad from power. Under the Obama admin, ISIS has spread from one country to dozens and dozens. Hillary supports war and tyranny and her scandalous foundation actually gives about 6% to charity. Donators to the Clinton Foundation receive huge contracts, political favours and among those are countries violating basic human rights. Under oath, Hillary has repeatedly lied about her private email server’s leaked info and it has been proven that the DNC was “rigged” in her favour. Ballots were lost, not counted…you get my drift. IMHO electing Hillary Clinton will continue to prop up the corrupt establishment that runs Wall Street. She answers to George Soros who owns the voting machines in 16 states. These machines can be easily manipulated. Donald Trump is a loudmouthed, uncouth, egotistical buffoon but he is not a murderer, like Hillary. He is not a seasoned political lawyer who knows how to manipulate public opinion. He calls it like it is. The US political system is broken. Anyone who is awake and aware knows this. I just spent a week in Mexico at a Joe Dispenza workshop and met countless Americans who understand the depths of the evil Clinton empire. She’s got mainstream media and movie stars pumping her up because they fear what Trump wiill do. He is exposing the deception and lies of the Obama/Clinton administration. Bill Clinton is a serial rapist and is linked to billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Bill has been to the pedophile’s island hideway numerous times. However, this is covered up by the media who instead is accusing Trump of fondling, harrassment, etc. These women are coming forward after 30-40 years? Good grief! Yes, Trump has made some idiotic statements but look at Hillary’s record in office. Americans are leaning towards Trump because they are sick and tired of the bullshit fed to them. Hillary needs to be indicted, charged and thrown in prison. But hey, she’s a woman so vote for her. Remarks by members of the DNC have been racist, misogynistic and downright disgusting. But hey, they represent the “good” left wing side of politics so it must have been an error. Don’t listen to the bs spewed out by mainstream media…instead follow independent investigative journalists who report the TRUTH, not read scripted news commentaries. True journalists like Assange must seek political asylum because Clinton goons want him dead. If you knew how truly evil, vile and corrupt the Clintons were, you would hope and pray every day that she does not become president. It’s the Clinton/Bush/Cheney/Obama cartel that represents the tyranny of a Hitler….

Hi Connie. Just because Hillary is highly debateable in terms of her ethics does not discount that Donald Trump has infantile behaviour patterns. I didn’t endorse Hillary I don’t even vote in the US I am a Canadian. I simply made a direct link between an existing archetype and what I am seeing in one of the presidential candidates

Michael

Yes, you are right! I mean there is a cnn Interview of Hillary where she says she will get to war with russia. Trump is imature for sure but also speaks Not this pc language that is usually spoken and he wants no war with russia. No One on earth could want a war with russia! If he really is going to make policy against the ruling class i am afraid that he will have the same fate as Kennedy through.
Mainstream Media is mostly Propaganda now and in the history of mankind have always been at the forefront when Times got Dark. I like to watch stuff from Gerald celente. Also in Canada “the rebel Media” is good (Not All of their content though)
All the bestellt
Michael